


The Keepers

by ExistentialCloud



Category: Original Work
Genre: Blind Character, Chosen One, Gen, Many endgame relationships, Multi, Teenagers With Powers, Trans Characters, Urban Fantasy, elemental powers, just assume that unless told otherwise no one is cishet, non-binary characters, orginal universe - Freeform, school setting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:47:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22626568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExistentialCloud/pseuds/ExistentialCloud
Summary: 85% of the population of Unima have the ability to control one of six elements: earth, air, fire, water, ice, lightning. Every generation there are six who have control over a more powerful variant of an element along with two people who are the only ones with control of the elements of Light and Shadows. These are called Keepers. With the newest batch of Keepers now reaching high school, the media is focused on them. Will they be able to uphold their responsibilities while juggling daily classes?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been working on this story and universe for close to six years now. I came up with it in 7th grade and dropped it in 8th grade due to lack of motivation. I recently looked back at my old notes and discovered I liked what had down so I revamped the characters and story a little bit. I hope you enjoy this story of mine and I can’t wait to share more with you!

Peter was 100% screwed. No other way to word it. He was definitely screwed. The imposing brick building stood in front of him, the metal emblem above the door seemed to bore down on poor little Peter. A large part of him wanted to drop his bag and run away, but he couldn’t. His mom had already driven off and his stuff was already in the dorms. He was stuck, both in the sense that he couldn’t leave the campus and that he physically couldn’t bring himself to move. 

He was finally motivated to move by two third years who pushed past him. Taking a shaky breath, he willed himself to move forward. Slowly he climbed up the stairs, forcing himself to look where he was going instead of his shoes. Bracing himself, he pushed open the doors and entered the school. The main hall of the building was even more imposing than the outside. 

The main entry was two stories, the second being separated by a wooden railing. The room split into two hallways to the left and right. Dark green lockers filled the walls, keeping the middle area clear. Where there weren’t lockers, trophy cases displayed student’s past achievements. Golden sunlight filtered through the tall windows, giving everything a glow. 

Peter unfroze, eyes scanning for any hint of where he was supposed to go. Sure, he did go on the first year tour the week before, but did he remember anything other than the crippling anxiety that squeezed his stomach? Nope. He was hopeless. Not even considering asking an upperclassman for help, he moved towards where all the underclassmen seemed to be going. 

The crowd of people funneled him into an indoor amphitheatre that was large enough to fit the whole school. The first years filled only a third of the seats, making the room seem that much bigger. Peter made his way to a seat, clutching his bag to chest as if it would offer protection against the gazes of his classmates. Conversations sprouted around him, friends talking about their elements in semi-hushed voices. Peter curled up in his seat, trying to block out the voices around him. 

“You okay?” A student next to him asked and he looked up to reply. 

Before he could though, the amplified sound of someone clearing their throat filled the room and all conversations ceased. Standing on the stage and projected onto a screen was a young woman with blue hair tied into a long braid. She looked at the first years and smiled. 

“Welcome to Wonderward Academy,” She said into the microphone. “I am Mrs. Anemone, the Dean of Students here at the Academy. Now, before Headmaster Chase comes out here to talk to you about orientation, I will be going over a few of the school rules.” 

A few kids groaned but she quickly shut them up with a glare. “These rules are for the safety of everyone on campus so it is best you pay attention. First, no use of abilities outside of the gym or private training rooms. Second, a teacher must always be present for the use of abilities in designated areas. Third, the weekday curfew is 8pm, the weekend curfew is 9pm. If any student is found outside their dorm’s during this time, they will get immediate detention. Also, please report any suspicious activity to a teacher. Thank you.” 

She then gestured to the side of the stage, “Now, please welcome Headmaster Raiden Chase!”

Stepping out from the wings of the stage was a bald man wearing a well tailored suit jacket that seemed to make him much taller than he was. He shook Mrs. Anemone’s hand before stepping up to the mic. He cleared his throat before speaking. “I would like to begin by thanking everyone for applying to Wonderward. You are by far the biggest first year class we have had yet.”

Everyone around Peter cheered while he just curled into himself further. Headmaster Chase continued to talk but he had trouble hearing him over the whispers that started to build up around him. He wished he had enough courage to tell them to be quiet, but he did not, so he just sat there and hoped he wasn’t missing anything important. 

“Please settle down.” Headmaster Chase said and the chatter around him quieted. “Now, here at Wonderward our goal is to nurture your talents and help you grow into the best version of you you can be. Some of you may think that talent only means control of an element and I must correct you on that.”

Peter could hear the whispered start up again and he involuntarily curled up in his seat. He knew that it was almost impossible for anyone to know about his lack of ability and yet it felt like every single whisper was directed at him. 

“Talent is honing a skill, whatever that skill may be. That is why Wonderward admits those without the ability while other schools do not. We will help all students grow while other schools only stunt their students. That is what makes this school special. That is what-”

Headmaster Chase paused as the sound of a bell rang. He waited for it to end before continuing. “It seems we have run out of time. When you leave your seats, please don’t rush. We know you want to get to your classes, but we can’t have you all tripping over each other. If you have any questions please ask a teacher or upperclassmen. Now, have a great first day here at Wonderward Academy.” 

It was if those words unleashed the floodgates. Everyone around Peter stood up and excitedly made their way down the stairs. He stayed silent as he pushed through the crowd, keeping his head down. Students bumped and pushed him but he was the one who apologized. Only once the crowd thinned out he pulled out his schedule from his pocket. 

First Class: Mathematics 1- Mr. Callan Rm. 106

Okay. He could deal with math first. He was okay with numbers. Now to find the classroom. Peter looked up from the paper to look around the main lobby and realized he had no idea where anything was. He knew he could ask an upperclassmen, but the mental toil of going up to someone and asking a simple question would kill him.

“Hey there!” A voice to his side startled him and he let out a yelp. “Oh sorry!” 

He turned to see who the voice belonged to and saw a first year with jet black hair pulled into pigtails by pink ribbons. She gave him a sheepish smile before she held out her hand.

“I’m Eldri Brennan.” She said as he hesitantly shook her hand. 

“Peter Collins.” He replied and she smiled wider. 

“Nice to meet you Peter,” Eldri took her hand back as she pulled out her own schedule. “I’m new here, obviously, and I thought I should make at least one new friend on the first day of school. And when I saw how shy you were during the assembly I figured I should introduce myself. What’s your first class?” 

Peter took a good moment to process what she said since she seemed to take no pauses for breath. He blinked and looked at his own schedule despite checking it a moment before. “Mathematics with Mr. Callan.” 

“We have the same first class!” She held her schedule next to his and he could see that they did intact share a first class, among a few others. “Let’s walk over together.” 

“Oh, okay”. Peter barely had time to agree before Eldri was speeding through the crowded lobby. He barely kept up with her as she weaved her way through the ocean of students. 

The crowd thinned as the two reached the doors leading to the quad of the campus. Despite the bell having rung, students sat around the grassy area and on stone benches. Peter kept his eyes on the ground as Eldri led them to a two story building to the left of the main building. From what little he could recall from the tour, this was the 100s building, or the Mathematics building.

“So Peter where are you from?” Eldri asked.

“Oh, um, here I guess.” Peter answered. “Or well, Canquest.” 

“A local, nice.” She replied. “My family’s from Sullo so technically I’m an exchange student.” 

“Really?” Peter looked up at her confused. “Why come all the way over here?” 

“I got an offer to come here with a full ride scholarship and my parents practically signed me up instantly.” She gave a small frown before smiling again. “Not that I don’t mind, it’s nice here. You guys got good food.” 

“Thanks?” 

“You are very welcome. Oh do you mind me asking you a question?” Eldri asked seriously, startling him. 

“I guess?” Peter somewhat answered.

“What’s your element?” Eldri asked.

“Oh….” Peter struggled to find the right words for a moment, hesitant to answer her question. “I d-don’t have one.” 

Eldri was silent for a moment and Peter already began to prepare for the worst. She would look at him in disgust and stop talking to him. Or worse, look at him with the same expression his family would give him. The one that made him feel like he was broken. But what Eldri did wasn’t what he expected. 

She slapped a hand to her face and let out a groan. “Jeez I must sound like a jerk for asking that. I’m so sorry. I’m just so used to going to an all ability school.”

“It’s okay, you didn't know.” Peter said, still startled by her reaction. 

“That’s no excuse.” Eldri said and paused outside the door labeled 106. “Well, here’s the classroom.” 

“Yeah.” With no further things to say he took a deep breath and opened the classroom door. 

The classroom was set up like a typical lecture hall with a large whiteboard at the front. Most of the seats were filled by students who until that moment were listening intently to the teacher standing at the front of the classroom. Peter immediately shrank under all the gazed pointed at him, eyes casted down to the floor.

“Ah, you two must be Eldri and Peter,” Mr. Callan said, smiling and clapping his hands together. “Right on time.” 

Mr. Callan was a shorter man with dark curly hair and wore the typical teacher’s uniform. He was the least threatening thing in the room and yet Peter couldn’t bring himself to look up at him for more than a few seconds. 

“S-sorry.” Peter stammered,”we had some trouble finding the classroom and-“

Mr. Callan held up a hand and Peter stopped. “It’s only the first day. Don’t worry about being late. Go find a seat.” 

Peter nodded and he followed Eldri to a seat near the back of the classroom. The moment they sat down, Mr. Callan began to speak again but he heard none of it. He was too busy focusing on trying to calm his shaking hands. Eldri put a hand on his wrist and he jumped. He looked up at her and she gave him a smile before taking a deep breath and gesturing for him to mimic it. He did and smiled back as some of his tension went away. 

“Thanks.” He whispered, turning back to the front. He could see her nod before she did the same.

Maybe this school wouldn’t be too bad if he had a friend like Eldri.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up being a lot longer than I was expecting, but I couldn’t find a good place to stop other than where I did. Anyways you get introduced to a bunch of new characters this chapter that I’m excited for you meet.

Mathematics went by quickly and Peter found that his other classes went better than he expected. Writing and History had nice teachers and Eldri sat next to him during those classes. The niceness of the day didn’t last as the two had to split so Eldri could go to science while he was to go to the ever dreaded P.E.

He managed to find his way to the gym in time for the teacher, an athletic looking woman with bright red hair named Mrs. Chase, to call role. When she read his name and he replied that he was present, she looked up from her clipboard at him and studied him for a long minute. 

“Peter, did you have a brother that used to go here?” She asked. 

Peter nodded. “Yeah, he graduated last year.”

Mrs. Chase smiled. “I thought you looked familiar, Marcus was one of my best students.” 

Peter just nodded and was glad she moved on quickly. He was hoping that no one would make the connection between his brother, the top student with the best fire ability the school had ever seen and him, an anxious mess with no ability at all. Looks like that wasn’t the case as he could already hear a few whispered mentions of his brother’s name and could feel the glances pointed at him. 

Once Mrs. Chase was done with the role, she sent the class to the locker rooms to change. Peter grabbed his clothes and changed in one of the private stalls along the edge of the locker room. He left the locker room to see that he was the second one changed out. The first was a tall and lanky kid with bright red hair. He smiled at Peter and waved. Peter gave a small wave back. 

“Peter right?” He asked and Peter couldn’t help but notice the scar on his jawline. He quickly looked away as to not seem rude. 

“Yeah,” Peter nodded. “I’m sorry but I didn’t catch your name.” 

“That's alright. I’m Oz Chase.” The kid stuck out his hand and Peter shook it. 

“Chase?” That was the third time he met someone with that last name that day. Was it more common of a last name than he realized. 

Oz nodded, a sheepish smile on his face. “Yeah, my uncle is the headmaster.” 

“Oh, and Mrs. Chase?” Peter asked. 

“My cousin.” Oz answered. Thinking about it, Peter could see the similarities between the three, the red hair, green eyes, and the height. 

“Hey Collins!” Peter turned to the voice and saw a mean looking kid glaring at him with two other kids behind him. The kid looked like a stereotypical bully with his bulk and features that looked like someone made a clay sculpture after seeing a human face once. The kids next to him were skinnier and shorter, but they looked as nasty as their leader. 

“Y-yeah?” Peter asked, preparing himself for what was to come.

“You really Marcus’ brother?” The leader asked as he took a step forward. 

Peter nodded, his throat practically closing up with his anxiety. Oz took a step forward so he was between Peter and the bully. “Leave him alone Shepard.” 

Shepard held his hands up in what was probably supposed to be a placating gesture. “I’m just asking him some questions Oswald, or is that against school policy?” 

Oz scowled but didn’t reply, he also didn’t move away from Peter, which he appreciated. Shepard took another step, “I heard he had the best fire ability in school. You the same?”

“I uh…,”Peter let his voice drop as he mumbled the rest of his answer. “I don’t have an ability.” 

“What was that?” Shepard got way too close to Peter despite Oz standing in front of him. “Speak up.”

“I d-don’t have an ability.” Peter said a tiny bit louder.

Shepard’s slight smirk fell and was replaced with a snarl. He looked down at Peter with the look he was used to at this point, disgust. “Hard to believe that such a skilled person would be related to a hollow like you.” 

Peter winced at the name, hands coming up instinctively as he saw Shepard’s hands clenched into fists, eyes clenched shut. There was a tingling and warmth in his hands that he assumed was his anxiety causing them to tremble. The hit never came.

“What the?” He heard Shepard say in confusion. 

“Peter, your hands!” Oz gasped and Peter opened his eyes and gasped himself.

His hands were glowing with a golden light. He could feel the lights warmth and realized this was why his hands were tingling. But why were they glowing? He didn’t have an ability and even if he did, this wasn’t he fire that ran through his family tree. 

“Peter!” Mrs. Chase came out of the locker room and rushed to his side. She hesitated a few inches from his hands, silently asking for permission, he nodded and she took his hands in hers. She examined them, turning them over and studying them. She looked back up to Oz and said, “Go get the Headmaster.”

Oz nodded and quickly ran off towards the rest of the campus. Mrs. Chase turned back to Peter and he now realized he was hyperventilating. She took a deep breath and he followed suit. Slowly his breathing calmed and the light on his hands dimmed until it disappeared. 

“Go inside and get changed, something tells me you won’t be doing P.E. today.” 

Peter nodded and made his way back to the locker room. By now a crowd had gathered outside and he could hear the whispers. Normally this would bother him, but he was in too much of a daze to notice. He changed slowly as he tried to process what just happened. By the time he stepped out of the locker room, Oz was back with Headmaster Chase. 

Headmaster Chase looked at Peter and smiled kindly, hands clasped together. “I heard that you showed some incredible talent young man.” 

“I...I guess,” Peter replied, gaze locked firmly to the ground. 

Headmaster Chase walked over and crouched so he was at eye level with Peter. Quietly he said, “There’s no need to be ashamed. Oswald over there said that your hands glowed, is that true?” 

Peter could only bring himself to nod. Headmaster Chase gave him another kind smile. “And you never showed signs of having any ability before now?” 

Peter nodded again. Headmaster Chase stood up and held a hand out to him. “Well, it seems that I have some people I need to introduce you to.” 

He hesitated, his going a thousand miles a second, but eventually he put his hand in the Headmaster’s. Chase nodded to Oz and he followed as the headmaster led them away from the P.Ex area.

“Where are we going?” Peter gathered the courage to ask.

“Your new dorms.” Headmaster Chase answered as if that was all that was needed to be said.

Oz must have sensed his confusion and clarified. “Us guardians have a separate dorm on campus.” 

“Guardians? Us?” Peter’s brain couldn’t seem to make sense of what was happening. Guardians were powerful adults, not teenagers in high school. And even then, he wasn’t powerful enough to be called a Guardian, newfound ability or not. 

“I had the same reaction when I found out, but I guess it’s our generation’s turn.” Oz calmly explained. 

Peter’s brain finally seemed to catch up and he was able to ask one coherent question. “What's your ability Oz?” 

Oz grinned and held up a hand. Orange electrictricity danced across his palm for a second before it went away and he shoved his hands back into his pockets. 

“Who are the others?” Peter asked after a few minutes of silent walking. 

“You’ll meet them soon enough.” Headmaster Chase answered, ending further questioning on his part. 

Peter has by then let go of Headmaster Chase’s hand and was studying his own as if he would discover the secrets behind what happened back there. A few more minutes passed before the three came across a small one story building Peter remembered seeing during his tour. He was told it was for staff though, not students. 

“Here we are,” Headmaster Chase walked up and knocked on the door. There was a moment of silence before the door opened and a student wearing casual clothing with their hair in a braid greeted the headmaster. “Ah, Triss, I hope I’m not intruding.” 

“Not at all,” Triss said and looked past him to Oz and Peter. She waved at Oz and tilted their head at Peter. “Who’s that?” 

“Peter Collins,” Oz answered for him. “He’s one of us.” 

Triss’s eyes opened wide and they quickly stepped out of the doorway. “Please come in. I’ll get started on some refreshments.”

“There’s no need,” Headmaster Chase said as he stepped inside and the other two followed. 

“Nonsense,” Triss led them down the small entryway to an open plan living room and kitchen combo. “I’ll make some tea. Is that okay Peter?” 

Peter was startled to be spoken to directly but he managed to nod. Oz hovered around Triss for a few moments before they shooed him away and he sat on the couch. Peter took a good look around the space and could see the small details that made the room look less like a dorm and more like a home. The jackets and shoes strung about with knick-knacks and photos lining the shelves. Through a large set of windows he could see a small courtyard with a fountain with two doors leading into different parts of the building. 

“It’s a square,” Oz said, making the shape in the air with his finger. “The building.” 

“There’s two bedrooms and a bathroom that way,” He pointed down a hallway that was just past the kitchen. He then pointed down a hallway opposite the first. “Another set of rooms and bathroom that way, and the fourth hall is the library and laundry room.” 

“Oh.” Was all Peter could say. Triss came back over with a tray of steaming teacups. Headmaster Chase remained standing while Peter and Triss joined Oz on the couch. The four all took a teacup though and Peter made it his goal to drink his as slowly as possible so he could avoid any questions. 

Triss watched him for a while before she asked, “How are you handling this Peter?” 

Peter wasn’t expecting that answer but he also couldn’t avoid it. If he did that would cause suspension and he didn’t want that kind of attention. Or any attention really. He put his cup down and studied his hands as he answered,”Not well really. I still don’t understand what is happening. Just this morning I had no ability of any kind and now suddenly I have one and I’m told I’m a guardian. It’s a lot to take in.” 

“I understand. It was tough for all of us at first.” Triss replied. “All of us were technically late bloomers so our abilities were a surprise to us as well.” 

“Really?” Peter was surprised, he expected the abilities of guardians to be quick to show. 

Triss nodded. “Our abilities are too powerful for our bodies to manifest at the normal age, it’s normal for it to take a few years to show up. Mine didn’t show until I turned 17 last year.” 

Peter’s eyes widened at that. It made sense, but he still didn’t understand. “How do I have my ability though? I come from a fire family, not… not.” 

“Light?” Headmaster Chase filled in Peter’s gap. “Simple, your aunt was last generation’s light user. You must have gotten her genetics.” 

“My aunt? But she’s..” Peter paused as he struggled to remember anything about his aunt. He came up empty as his aunt died when he was three but he should remember if his mom had told him anything. 

“I know, and she was a good woman and a powerful woman.” Headmaster Chase said before he looked at the clock on the fireplace mantel and put his cup down. “I must go now. Peter I’ll have your stuff transferred over here. Don’t worry about going to the rest of today’s classes, spend your time getting yourself introduced to the others.” 

Without a goodbye, the Headmaster left the dorm. The three on the couch were silent for a minute before Triss suddenly thrust their hand at Peter. He took it, startled. “Triss Woodrow, she/her they/Them pronouns. I’m also the water guardian.” 

With a flick of her wrist, green water droplets were flung at Oz who sputtered in surprise. Peter couldn’t help but giggle. Oz looked at Peter in betrayal as he wiped his face. Triss giggled as well before standing up. The two followed as she led them down the hallway by the kitchen.

“We are two to a room here, well except for you since you make seven. Down this hall is Oz, Drew, Kylie and Ev.” Triss explained. 

She knocked on the first door and there was a small grunt of acknowledgement before the door opened. Standing in the doorway was a second year with dark skin and black hair shaved on one side. They looked at Triss in confusion before spotting Peter behind him. 

“This is Peter Collins, our newest member and the guardian of light.” 

The student’s eyebrows raised in surprise before they schooled their expression. “Drew McKenna, earth guardian. They/they pronouns.” 

Peter nodded. “He/him for me.”

Drew smiled for a second before glancing past him down the hallway. “Is the Headmaster here?” 

Oz shook his head. “He just left.”

Drew visibly relaxed and stepped out into the hallway. “If that’s the case, I’m going to work outside.” 

They walked past them and headed to the main room. Triss led Peter to the next door without a word and knocked. There was a single bark from inside before someone loudly shushed it. There was a tiny bit of fumbling at the door before it opened. The second year in the doorway was tan with short black hair and bright blue eyes. Peter noticed that they were looking past the three instead of directly at them.

“Triss, Oz, and someone new?” They tilted their head as if listening for something. “Did we get a new member?” 

“We did, his name is Peter Collins and he is our newest light guardian,” Triss answered. 

“Ah. Greetings Peter, I’m Ev William. Any pronoun works for me, but right now I prefer she/her. I’m the air guardian. And this is Sticks.” 

She gestured to the dog standing behind her. He had a tan coat and looked impossibly fluffy. He was wearing a bright red vest that read service in large letters on the side. Peter wanted to ask but it felt rude. Ev must've noticed his silence and answered his silent question. “I’m blind, sticks here is my service dog. And don’t worry, you can pet him later during dinner.” 

“Okay.” Peter replied. Ev smiled at his direction and held up a hand to wave. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Peter.” Ev said before shutting the door gently. 

“Is she?” 

“Always like that, yeah.” Triss answered his unfinished question. “Don’t take it personally, she likes her privacy. I can tell she likes you though. Kylie must be out right now or she would be practically bouncing out of the room to meet you. Eldri is also gone right now so you’ll have to wait until dinner to meet them.”

“Wait, Eldri?” Peter asked.

“Oh you know her?” Triss asked as they three began to walk back to the living room. 

“We met this morning.” Peter answered. “I didn't know she was a guardian.” 

“Well, you can ask her about it during dinner.” Triss led him down the other hallway to one of the doors. “Until then, why don’t you try to get settled into your new room.” 

Peter opened the door to a generic looking bedroom. The walls were cream colored with dark furniture. The room was split in half and mirrored with two beds, two desks, two dressers, and two small tables by the beds. There was a single window in between the beds that had a view of the distant mountains. 

“Don’t worry about a roommate, only seven of us are here.” Triss explained. Peter turned to her and realized that Oz disappeared during their walk over to his new room. 

“Why only seven, aren’t there supposed to be eight guardians?” Peter asked. 

“There is.” Triss answered. “We just don’t have the eighth. Rumor has it she’s at a different school.” 

“Oh.” Peter sat on the bed and was surprised by how comfortable it was. 

“Well,” Triss said as he pushed her glasses up her nose, “I’ll leave you to it. I’m in the room next door if you need anything.” 

Triss disappeared down the hall, leaving Peter to sit there with his own thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keeper’s is more of a term used in the media while Guardians is the term used in an academic setting. They mean the same thing but trust me when I say one will be used more than the other in the future.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one isn’t as long as the others but I’m super excited to share it with you! Feedback is always appreciated!

Peter stuck to himself during the hours before dinner. He occupied himself by hanging up what little decorations he had brought from home when their box got dropped off at their dorms. He tried to reread his favorite book but he couldn’t make himself focus on the words. So instead, he laid on his bed and stared at the ceiling, willing the time to pass.

He raised a hand above his head, studying every marking as if they would make a map that would lead him to the answers he wanted. Taking a deep breath, he focused on the tips of his fingers, hoping to recreate the feeling from earlier. After a few seconds of nothing, he sighed and let his hand fall back onto the bed next to him. It was no use. He had no ability and this was all just a big mistake. Any minute one of them would walk in and go “sorry but you’re not actually important” and would kick him out and then Headmaster Chase would kick him out of the school for wasting everybody’s time and-and

A knock on the door startled him out of his spiral. He took a deep breath before he got up to open the door, bracing himself for the worst. Triss stood outside the door, smiling. 

“Is it dinner time already?” Peter asked.

Triss shook her head. “Not yet, I just forgot to ask if you had any dietary restrictions or allergies.”

“Oh um..I..I have-I mean..” Peter stammered. He took a deep breath before trying to answer. “I don’t have any restrictions, I-I can eat just about anything.” 

Triss gave him a soft smile and said, “Okay. Kylie and Eldri are back from classes if you want to talk to them.”

“I’ll wait until dinner, if…if that’s okay?” Peter asked. 

“That’s perfectly fine Peter, I’ll let them know.” Triss gave him a small wave as a goodbye before she went down the hall back towards the kitchen. 

He shut the door and sat back down on his bed, looking like he had more time to kill. His eyes absentmindedly went to each bit of decoration he had up until he got to a framed photo on his nightstand. The photo was a bit old, back when his hair was longer, and was from a picnic his family went on during the summer. The photo sparked a memory that he promised he would call his family after classes. 

With no small amount of hesitation he pulled his computer out of his bag and leaned against the wall as he waited for his parents to pick up the video call. It rang a few times before they answered and their smiling faces appeared on his screen. Peter couldn’t see Marcus and that sent a wave of relief through him. 

“Peter, Headmaster Chase called us and told us the good news!” His mother said without bothering to say hello. 

“To say we were surprised was an understatement,” His father added and Peter ignored how that hurt his chest.

“Yeah, it was a surprise for me too,” Peter said, shifting the computer so it was in his lap. “I didn’t know about Aunt Ilene.” 

“Oh Peter,” His mother started, “I didn’t know how to tell you, our relationship was complicated. We stopped talking after we graduated and I didn’t hear anything about her outside the news until she passed.” 

“Oh…” Peter didn’t know how to respond. 

There was a small bit of silence where neither his parents nor him had anything to say. Then there was the sound of a door opening and his older brother could be heard, “Hey, are you talking to Peter?’

Peter tensed up despite the fact that miles separate the two of them, but he quickly relaxed. That's what sixteen years off noogies did to a person, he assumed. He watched as his brother leaned against the back of the couch his parents were sitting on. He must have had a hard day at work because one of his eyes was swollen shut and there were a few cuts on his face. 

“Are you trying to steal my thunder lil bro?” Marcus asked with a teasing tone in his voice. 

“Not on purpose,” Peter answered. 

“Good,” Marcus smirked, “can’t have a little pipsqueak like you outshine me.” 

“Marcus!” Their mother scolded. 

Marcus just rolled his eyes and leaned further over the couch. “Make any friends yet Petes?” 

“Kinda?” Peter answered. “I met this girl Eldri earlier, she’s nice, and my new dorms are full of nice people. But I don’t think we’re friends yet.” 

“As long as you have people you can depend on, you’ll be fine.” Marcus said. “That’s how I managed to get through the academy.” 

Peter nodded and braced himself for his mother’s small interrogation. 

“So you met a girl earlier Peter? Eldri right?’ She asked. “Such a unique name, is she from around here?” 

“She’s from Sullo,” Peter answered, “and mom, we just met. That’s all.” 

“I know sweetie,” She smiled softly,” but I can’t help myself. Marcus went through the same thing when he met Damek his first year.” 

“Get used to it Petes,” Marcus said as he played with the ring around his finger. “She was like this with me until the ceremony, and she hasn’t stopped.” 

“I just get excited is all.” Their mother said as she put a hand on their father next to her. “Your dad sure knows that.” 

“That’s why I married you after all” Their dad said. 

“I hate to cut this call short but I have to go, it’s dinner and there are still people I haven’t met yet,” Peter said in an effort to prevent his parents from kissing in front of him. “I’ll call you guys tomorrow! Bye!” 

He barely let them get a goodbye out before he ended the call. He slumped against the wall, a faint smile on his face. His leftover anxiety from before had faded during the video call. The familiar conversation soothed his worries and calmed his nerves. Slightly. There was still a little part of him whispering doubts, but it was small enough that he could ignore it for a small while. 

He closed his computer and slid off the bed. The light in the room had definitely dimmed and he reached over to turn on the lamp on his nightstand. The room was filled with a soft golden glow that reminded him a little too much of the glow of his hands earlier. He quickly left his bedroom and shut the door behind him. 

He entered the living room to see it everyone was there; the four he met before, Eldri, and someone he hadn’t met yet, who he assumed to be the Kylie mentioned earlier.nd Oz looked up from his spot on the couch as he entered and smiled. “Good timing, I was just sent to get you.” 

“Oz, I sent you to get Peter five minutes ago.” Triss said from the kitchen where she was setting steaming plates down onto the counter. 

Oz looked sheepish as he said, “Sorry, I got sidetracked.”

Triss sighed but there was no malice in her voice when she said, “ You always get sidetracked Oz. Anyways, you’re here now and dinner is ready. Everyone grab a plate and let’s eat.” 

Peter watched as everyone but Ev followed Triss’ instructions to get up and grab a plate. He grabbed one of his own and hesitated at the edge of the couch, unsure of where to sit. Eldri noticed him and patted the seat next to him. He smiled and sat next to her, balancing his plate on his lap. 

When he sat down he actually looked at what Triss made and smiled at the assortment of fish and vegetables on the plate. It was quiet for a minute or two as everyone took a bite before Kylie suddenly turned to Peter and outreached her hand to him. “Hi!” 

Peter took a second to process what happened before he reached out and shook her hand. “Hey, I’m Peter. Peter Collins.” 

“I know.” Kylie said, still smiling. “They told me about you. I’m Kylie Martins, ice keeper.” 

“Guardian,” Triss corrected. “Keeper is an inaccurate term for what we are.” 

“Sorry! Old habits” Kylie shrugged before shoving her face with her dinner as if she hadn’t eaten in weeks. 

Triss shook her head before going back to her own meal. There was another lull in conversation before Drew put their plate on the coffee table and leaned towards Peter. They studied him for what he felt like eons before they finally spoke. “I heard your brother used to go here, what does he do now?” 

“Oh...um..he...he” Peter stammered, flustered under the slight pressure that he was put under. He felt a hand on his knee and Kylie gave him a comforting smile. He took a deep breath before answering, “He works at the edge.” 

“A patrol?” Oz asked. 

“Yeah,” Peter nodded. “He’s the captain of his team.”

“That’s really good.” Eldri said, “You must be really proud of him.” 

Peter nodded and jumped slightly when Ev asked, “what did you want to do?”

“I’m sorry?” Peter looked at her with confusion, she just looked in his general direction as she pet Sticks who sat below her. 

“What did you want to do? After you graduate, I mean.” Ev clarified. “You came to this school not knowing you had an ability, which means your plan was different than most students at the academy.” 

“Um.. I didn’t have one.” Peter answered, looking down at his plate. “I was going to figure it out during my first year.” 

Ev made a thoughtful noise and nodded before she turned her attention back to making sure no part of Sticks was left unpet. There was a small beat of silence and Peter could feel his face heat up. He felt someone grab his plate and he didn’t protest. He took it as a sign that he could leave, so he did. 

The golden glow of his lamp greeted him as he entered his room. He shut the door and leaned against it, letting out a deep breath. He stayed like that for a while as he tried to collect his thoughts before he stood up to change into his pajamas. He crawled into bed and turned off his lamp, leaving him in darkness that, for once, he was grateful for. 

He stared at the ceiling, thoughts still swirling around the events of the day. With another deep breath, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr is @constantly-cloudy if you have any questions or want to see art of some of these guys.


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